Ceramics & Glass (MA)
Yuxin Tang
Yuxin Tang was born in Guangzhou, China, and came to the UK to study in 2014. She has completed her BA in product and furniture design at Kingston University in 2018, and her MA in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art in 2020. During her time at the RCA, she has taken part in a residency and several exhibitions, including Across Borders in Jingdezhen, China, and 24:4 Group show in London, UK.
My current work explores dark natural spaces, with interiors that contain hidden structures; spaces that are waiting for people to explore what is concealed inside. I want to recreate the astonishing feeling of seeing bizarre geological structures. I explore this through clay sculptures and more recently through tonal drawings.
Caving is a kind of challenge and thrilling activity, fraught with danger, but the satisfaction that caving brings me is enormous. I love the feeling when I use my feet to walk through unknown areas and use my eyes to discover a beauty I have never seen before. This is the feeling I hope to evoke through my sculptures.
Through hand-modelling clay I mimic the textures of mountains, caves, and rocks which have formed naturally. Their structure contains a certain rhythm, making caves beautiful and mysterious. In response to this natural beauty, I have created a series of miniature "clay caves". I find that clay is an ideal material to achieve my intention because clay is also a large part of the earth's surface, which gives it the same quality of wildness. My work remains unglazed because I want to keep the natural qualities of the clay; the grog (silica or sand content in the clay) remains visible. When producing my pieces, I tend to focus more on the interior part and try to make it as exciting as possible, while I minimize the exterior to encourage viewers to focus on the hollow spaces within the earth.
Internal views 1
Internal views 2
looking through a hole
Internal views 3
Internal views 4
Clay Dessert Rose — 120mm x 120mm x 60mm
Column — This shows how it will look like when in a column shape.
Cube — This shows how it will look like when in a cube shape.
Pyramid — This shows how it will look like when in a pyramid shape.
In a hollow geometrical form, I added many protruding lamellar clay pieces, which is inspired by a kind of mineral called 'the Desert Rose', to imitate the changeable and complex rock structure inside a cave. It is because of the rough the bumping surface and the complex structures in a cave that make the light changeable. I tried to build them randomly to give more possibilities for the light to change.
My pieces remain un-glazed because I want to show the quality of the clay itself. The grogged clay I intent to use have the same natural power as the rocks.
Medium:
Stoneware
Exit — Watercolur on paper, 294mmx 206mm
Exit 2 — Watercolur on paper, 294mmx 206mm
Stalactites — Watercolur on paper, 210mm x 150mm
Valley — Watercolur on paper, 210mm x 150mm
untitled — Watercolur on paper, 150mm x 150mm
untitled — Watercolur on paper, 150mm x 150mm
untitled — Watercolur on paper, 150mm x 150mm
untitled — Watercolur on paper, 150mm x 210mm
When drawing, I focus on the contrast between light and dark. The outside light glimpsed from inside a cave is fascinating. The strong contrast of light and shadow creates an atmosphere of mystery. In my drawings, parts of the paper are left blank to create the "light source".
I recall the experience of walking inside a cave, looking for and finally finding another exit. I try to transfer this feeling onto paper. I imagine that when I look into my works, I can see other exits that can let me out. Later I will transform my drawings and surfaces into three-dimensional sculptures.
Medium:
WatercolourFrom a Distance: The importance of a cultural experience and exchange of art education